Chuck vs A Brand New Life
by GATX-105B
Summary: Chuck's free of the Intersect, Ellie's getting married, and their Dad's been rescued. What's Chuck going to do now? What about Sarah and Casey? Can Chuck leave the Buy More? Ch3 now Up! Post:Chuck vs the Colonel/Ring,tiny spoilers
1. Chapter 1

**Chuck vs. A Brand New Life**

Disclaimer: I do not own anything in conjunction with NBC Networks nor do I own anything said by the government characters in this story. I only own the plotline and the scenarios I have created.

_Chapter 1: Reimbursement_

**Washington D.C., 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue- 11:13 AM**

"The asset knows too much. Correction, sir. The ex-asset knows too much. We now have the Intersect Cube, Orion, and will be fully operational within the week. The Human Intersect Project can now end. It would be the right thing to terminate Charles Bartowski," reports General Diane Beckman standing in front of a luxurious, dark varnish oak desk. The figure seated across from her gazes into space contemplatively. Behind General Beckman are several men in suits or military uniforms. No one below a three star general is present.

"I may not have been here long, but I believe you to be wrong on both counts General Beckman," responds the seated figure from his plush leather office chair. The contemplative look remains on his face.

"Mr. President, sir, we cannot let the asset go. The Intersect is our nation's most valuable intelligence tool against those who would seek to harm us. General Beckman is right to terminate him," dissents another general. The president nods in his direction before turning his gaze to another man dressed in a crisply pressed dark suit.

"What do you think Mr. Gottfried? Is Charles Bartowski a danger to national security?"

"Sir, I must agree with you. We learned from our previous bout with losing the Intersect that only having one is a mistake. However, throughout all the testing no one has been able to come close to what Orion did," responds Mr. Gottfried arms crossed.

"So what are you suggesting? Can we let Charles Bartowski continue on in whatever it is that he is doing?"

"No and yes. As you can observe throughout the video and reports from Colonel Casey and Agent Walker, Charles Bartowski exhibits great potential not only in the capacity of analyst, but also as an agent. His ability to assimilate Intersect data with such speed gives him an edge over most other agents. As much as General Beckman may believe the Intersect project should end, having field agents with intersect data pertinent to their missions would be a great asset. It cuts down on chatter that potential enemies may pick up. I believe that Charles Bartowski must be recruited in his nations' service. He has too much potential to be sitting behind a desk at a Buy More."

"Hmmm… You make a good observation Mr. Gottfried. How do you suggest we go about recruiting someone who has so obviously made it clear that he wants nothing to do with us? In the state of this economy how much money can we allocate to developing a whole new branch?"

"I'm not talking about a new branch of the intelligence community. 65% of the intel within the Intersect is a product of my agency's work. Occam's Razor has a part in the Intersect project and will continue to do so. We can begin a project within OR. As for recruiting Bartowski, we will recruit the rest of his team as well. 'Team Bartowski' as it is so termed will be brought back together. My hope is that Bartowski will consent to re-assimilating the Intersect and to training in order to test the effectiveness of intersect agents in the field. Although General Beckman believes that we have wiped out Fulcrum, there is no confirmed proof other than a rather small bomb shelter."

"Well then, I cannot argue with that logic. Charles Bartowski is yours if you can get him. We will discuss an alternative plan when and if this falls through. Keep an eye out for Fulcrum. Dismissed."

"Yes, sir," chorus the various people assembled in the room. General Beckman sighs a bit before a slight smile crosses her face. She turns and walks professionally from the Oval Office only to encounter Mr. Gottfried in the hall.

"Mr. Gottfried, what can I do for you? You've already made it clear that you do not agree with my reasoning," glares General Beckman unused to being denied anything she desired.

Gottfried shifts his weight and stands to his full six foot three inches before addressing the General, "I know you don't like me so I'll keep this brief. The Intersect project hinges on Orion's cooperation. If you terminate his son, how do you think he'll react? You know that he will be able to remotely dismantle the Intersect as well if you terminate Charles after the fact. That being said, I need all of your files on Team Bartowski and the Human Intersect Project."

"I'll have them to you tomorrow morning. Good day," grinds out General Beckman before calmly stalking away.

Watching Beckman grow more diminutive as she progressed down the hall, Gottfried raises his hand to knock on the door of the Oval Office. A grunt of, "Come in!" comes from the other side and the door swings open to reveal the President standing at his desk flanked by two secret service agents.

"Sir, I'm sorry to disturb you again, but I need clearance to reimburse Mr. Bartowski for service to his nation despite our wishes to recruit him. According to the files, he received the Intersect due to Agent Larkin's indiscretion and in the process he has aided in destroying a significant portion of Fulcrums' assets on the West Coast. We should give him the degrees he needs to progress career-wise and monetarily reimburse him."

"That makes perfect sense. The backbone of this country is the work of ordinary citizens doing extraordinary things. Tell General Beckman to transfer the money and communicate the resume changes Mr. Bartowski."

"Thank you sir," says Gottfried spinning on his heel and walking briskly out the door, his Blackberry already in his hand dialing General Beckman's private line.

**Echo Park, California- Bartowski Condominium**

Across the country it is early in the morning the sun beginning to creep over the roofline of the Echo Park condominium complex that is home to Casa Bartowski. Chuck Bartowski lies asleep in his bed, and for the first time in months it is not plagued by dreams of intersect flashes. Chuck mumbles incoherencies into his pillow as he dreams of pleasant scenarios and blonde-haired blue-eyed CIA agents. The silence is broken by a muffled buzzing noise emanating from the bedside table as Chuck's hand shoots out with uncharacteristic coordination to grab the phone as it slipped from its position on the edge of the table. Instinctively hitting the answer button he slaps the phone to his ear.

"Hullo?" mumbles Chuck half awake into his phone. Rolling onto his back Chuck looks up at the ceiling as a happy, bright voice sounds out from the speakers.

"Good morning Chuck. Did I wake you up?" asks Sarah Walker fully alert and awake.

"No, you didn't. What is it?" asks Chuck before yawning loudly causing him to blush. "Okay maybe you did. What's up?"

"We have one last briefing today at Castle. I'm already outside your complex. Can you come out and meet me? I brought you breakfast."

At the sound of Sarah's voice Chuck's face brightens and the mention of food makes him spring out of bed and into a frenzy to find his clothes.

"Sure just give me a second. I'll be right out," responds Chuck before dropping the phone as he struggled into a pair of jeans. He grabs a black button down from the arm of his chair and throws it one carelessly before taking a look in the mirror. Chuck quickly runs his hand through his hair and sprays a dash of cologne before slipping his black Chuck Taylor's on and propelling himself out the Morgan Door. The fresh morning air assaults his senses and Chuck glances at his watch to see that it is already 8:30 in the morning. Lightly jogging through the courtyard Chuck emerges onto the sidewalk to see Sarah leaning against a brand new Porsche. A black exterior and a saddle interior complement each other through the tinted windows. Silver lettering decorates the back, 'GT2'.

"Good morning Chuck," greets Sarah a grin on her face. She opens her arms to wrap around Chuck's neck and pull him in for a hug. "Happy Intersect-free day two."

"Thanks Sarah, you don't know how much it meant for you to help me rescue my father." Chuck pulls back to look at Sarah's smooth features. Without thinking he leans down to lay a chaste, sweet kiss on her lips. Without missing a beat Chuck asks, "Ready to go Sarah? Casey's probably left for Castle already right?"

"Y-yeah, let's go," stutters Sarah before running around to the driver's side of her brand new car.

"Is this car a different Porsche from the one you had before?" asks Chuck as the GT2 launches like a rocket from the sidewalk reaching sixty miles per hour in 3.6 seconds.

"Yes, Chuck. It's a Porsche 911 GT2, and it's quite a big improvement on my 4S. It's also all thanks to you and Casey. Beckman gave me a raise and a large bonus."

Traveling quickly through the streets of Burbank, the pair quickly reach the Buy More shopping center and park right in front of the deserted Orange Orange. Entering the empty store Sarah relocks the door before pulling Chuck into the fake freezer door.

"You two are late. Bartowski! Get down here, the General wants to speak to you," grunts Casey in his usual manner as he stands in a black polo and jeans in front of the usual slew of monitors. Chuck glances at Sarah smiling softly at her before swiftly making his way down the stairs, coming to a stop next to Casey.

"Good morning Mr. Bartowski. I've asked you here this morning to extend thanks on behalf of the NSA, CIA, and the President of the United States. You've done your nation a great service without compensation. You didn't ask for the burden of the Intersect, and although I do not act sympathetically very often I appreciate what you've done," says General Beckman addressing Chuck. The Colonel and the Agent are caught in disbelief. General Beckman was known to be colder than a Connecticut winter and here she was congratulating and thanking a Buy More employee that had been ejected from Stanford.

"Thank you General. It's been a crazy adventure, but I don't regret a single moment of it," responds Chuck.

"Glad to hear it Mr. Bartowski. The United States Government would like to extend the Congressional Medal of Honor to your alias, Special Agent Charles Carmichael, for outstanding bravery. We would also like to confer to you a Stanford Masters in Business Administration for your work with us. Also an account with one million dollars flat has been started in your name. If you need anything else please let Colonel Casey know. Beckman out."

"Well, Chuck looks like you're free of the Buy More. An MBA and your electrical engineering degree, what do you know? Here's your account number and a card linked to the account," says Casey as he hands over a sheet of paper to Chuck who was still stuck in a stupor.

"Chuck, this is great! You're finally able to pursue everything you wanted!" exclaims Sarah enthusiastically. Finally a smile and then a full blown grin spreads across Chuck's face. His big break had arrived. There was nothing that could stop him now. Suddenly Chuck's phone starts ringing the screen indicating that Ellie was calling.

"Chuck! Where are you? Is Sarah with you? She's supposed to come with me to get the final fitting done…"

"Ellie! It's fine, Sarah and I went out for breakfast and she's here with me. Here I'll let you talk to her," interjects Chuck handing the phone to Sarah.

"Hi Ellie? Sorry about the confusion, I'll be right over. Uh huh, yeah. Okay I'll see you then, bye!"

"So what was that all about?" asks Chuck looking at Sarah with a goofy look on his face.

"I need to get over to Ellie's final gown fitting. It's in Beverly Hills and the million dollar man needs to look the part. You're coming with me and we're going shopping for you afterwards," ordered Sarah poking his chest before dragging Chuck back up the stairs.

"Ugh, young love. Sickeningly sweet," mumbles Casey as he makes the call for an NSA cleanup team to remove Castle from the Orange Orange basement.

**To Be Continued…**

A/N: First time writing for Chuck, but a big fan of the show. Let me know what you think. If you enjoyed it or have any constructive criticism for me please let me know. Also for those of you who saw Chuck Vs. the Colonel last night, I can't believe that next week is the season and possibly the series finale! Please review!

Peace and love,

GATX-105B

**NOTE: THIS VERSION HAS BEEN EDITED. A few things, the White House address has been fixed (1300 ******** 1600). The Congressional Medal of Honor has been assigned not to a civilian, but "Charles Carmichael." New Chapter will be up sometime soon pending how much work I have.**


	2. Author's Note, Please Read!

**Author's Note: 5/03/2009**

**Hey everyone,**

**Before you all freak out, this is not a note to tell you that I won't be continuing. In fact, Chapter 2 has reached 80 or so percent completion. I just want to thank you for being patient with me. I've been very busy and I'm doing this as a hobby so it's not really at the forefront of my priorities. However, I really, really appreciate all of you who have added the story to your alerts and reviewed. For those of you who haven't please take a moment of your time and let me know what you thought. I would also appreciate your ideas for where the story should go after chapter 2. There is no true master plan for the story so let me know what you want to see and I will take it into consideration. If you've made it this far take a look below for a little teaser for the next chapter. The whole chapter should be up by tonight or tomorrow morning!**

**All the best,**

**GATX-105b**

**---------Preview----------**

Azrael Gottfried pushes through the turning doors of a very large and modern glass and steel office building. He strides confidently across the black and white marble floor past the receptionist whom he gives a slight nod to. He is impeccably dressed in a navy Thom Browne suit with a white French cuffed shirt and a black skinny sock tie. He casually glances at his watch, a white faced Patek Philippe calatrava. Avoiding the masses that stream in and out of the elevators, Gottfried continues down the corridor to the last door on the left. A biometric sensor on the backside of the handle reads his signature and the door electronically unlocks.

Gottfried finds himself in a sterile, brightly lit corridor. The only set of doors belongs to the imposing burnished steel elevator doors at the end of the hall. On his way down the hall he reaches into his pocket for his ID card, which he slides through the receptor next to the elevator doors. The twin steel access doors silently open and Gottfried steps into a richly appointed mahogany accented elevator.


	3. Ch2: You Can't Put a Price on Time

**Chuck vs. A Brand New Life**

Disclaimer: I do not own anything in conjunction with NBC Networks nor do I own anything said by the government characters in this story. I only own the plotline and the scenarios I have created.

_Chapter 2: You Can't Put a Price on Time_

After the surprising meeting with General Beckman, Chuck and Sarah had gone their separate ways after arriving in Beverly Hills for Ellie's dress fittings. Before parting the two shared a passionate kiss in front of Ellie's entire bridal party, surprising Ellie most of all. She had never seen Chuck and Sarah so intimate. It made her heart warm to know that her brother had found his grounding.

On the other end of the spectrum, Chuck was on an entirely different, but equally happy wavelength. He is elated that he had received the tools to move forward in life, but he is even more ecstatic at the polarization of Sarah and his relationship. Prior to the kill order by General Beckman, Sarah had been unable to suppress her agent training and express the mountain of emotion that had built up between herself and Chuck. Now that the Intersect has been removed the wall between them is quickly crumbling. Starting with their motel room escapades, the shows of affection between Sarah and Chuck have escalated rapidly.

"See you later Sarah. I'll be wherever, give me a call when you're done!" yells Chuck as he jauntily strolls down the street waving carelessly back at Sarah. Sarah simply shakes her head at how happy Chuck is and enters the Bridal shop.

"Sarah! I'm so glad you're here. Everyone likes that dress that's hanging over there, and both fit me, but I can't get over the lacing on it!" exclaims Ellie obviously frantic from the tone of her voice and the rapid hand gestures. The rest of her bridal party is sitting behind her, a few looking on in a bemused fashion, but most have a frustrated look on their faces.

"Ellie, calm down, you'll look great in whatever dress you pick," soothes Sarah pushing Ellie towards the mirror. "See, you look good in this dress, but we want it to be great. Why don't you put on that dress that the others like so much?"

Ellie enters the dressing room to change into the other dress, and the bridal party lets out a collective sigh of relief. Sarah surveys the landscape and notices that the doctors and sorority friends are a bit haggard looking. Sarah takes a seat in the empty white armchair and lets the soft jazz music playing in the background wash over her. A few minutes pass and Ellie finally emerges from the dressing room in a dress that drapes over her form perfectly accenting her natural beauty and casting an elegant silhouette

Down the street, standing at the entrance of Neiman Marcus is Chuck, slightly unsure of himself. Sarah had said he needed to look the part of the highly educated, confident person that he now should be.

_"Time to bite the bullet, Chuck_," Chuck thinks to himself and heads through the tall glass and steel doors. The first floor is bustling with women shopping for makeup, shoes, and handbags. _"Definitely not this floor."_

Without hesitation Chuck heads for the directory, which points him to the fourth floor for Men's clothing. Meandering through rack after rack of clothing Chuck began feeling lost causing his mind to drift to Sarah once again. He continues aimlessly through the clothing until someone waves a hand in front of his face to break his trance.

"Sir? Sir? Can I help you with something?" asks a cute brunette dressed professionally standing in front of him. Chuck sucks in a breath as if waking up and looks down at her. He nervously throws the Bartowski smile at her.

"Uh, sure. I need to overhaul my wardrobe. Suits, casual clothes, everything," says Chuck trying to regain some of his confidence. The brunette nods her head at his requests. At hearing the word overhaul her eyes lit up, already dreaming about the commission that she would make off of the sales.

"No problem. Why don't you follow me and we'll get started. I'm Claire by the way, and you are?"

"Oh, hi. I'm Chuck. Chuck Bartowski," stutters Chuck following Claire towards the myriad of designer suits, trying to ignore the flirty tone she was using with him.

_**Virginia- Undisclosed Location**_**: Occam's Razor HQ**

Azrael Gottfried pushes through the turning doors of a very large and modern glass and steel office building. He strides confidently across the black and white marble floor past the receptionist whom he gives a slight nod to. He is impeccably dressed in a navy Thom Browne suit with a white French cuffed shirt and a black skinny sock tie. He casually glances at his watch, a white faced Patek Philippe calatrava. Avoiding the masses that stream in and out of the elevators, Gottfried continues down the corridor to the last door on the left. A biometric sensor on the backside of the handle reads his signature and the door electronically unlocks.

Gottfried finds himself in a sterile, brightly lit corridor. The only set of doors belongs to the imposing burnished steel elevator doors at the end of the hall. On his way down the hall he reaches into his pocket for his ID card, which he slides through the receptor next to the elevator doors. The twin steel access doors silently open and Gottfried steps into a richly appointed mahogany accented elevator. He hits the button for the 35th floor and the elevator quickly rises through the center of the building.

The doors open again and Gottfried is immediately graced with the visage of his assistant Marie and a stack of files before he is even out of the elevator.

"Good afternoon Director Gottfried. Here are the files you requested and I also have a message from General Beckman of the NSA requesting that you call her back. There is coffee on your desk and Agent Philips would like to speak with you in an hour."

"Thank you Marie. I'll take the call to General Beckman now, if you don't mind. Please connect me in three minutes' time. Also alert Agent Philips that if his conversation is not urgent that it will have to wait until tomorrow," replies Gottfried quickly striding down the short hallway to his office. He pushes through the oak doors and rounds his long 1950's desk and sits down in his comfortable office chair. His fingers quickly fly over the keyboard logging him into the network. A few seconds after he logs in the web camera mounted on to of his monitor blinks to life. Within moments General Beckman's offices comes into view.

"General Beckman, I'm sorry I missed your earlier call. I just returned to the office. What can I help you with?" greets Gottfried.

"Director, I just wanted to notify you that we have done what you requested for Charles Bartowski. However, your desire to give an MBA to a man who never attended business school perplexes me."

"Ah, that is to test the new version of the Intersect which Mr. Bartowski recovered. I intend to recruit Mr. Bartowski and I need to know that the Intersect and he are still compatible. One of my agents should be delivering a flash drive to you within the hour. I need you to have your technicians embed the files on the drive in an e-mail you will send to Mr. Bartowski. This will be a subliminal upload of all of the MBA information."

"That seems acceptable. As for the notice I received from the White House earlier, am I to understand that you wish to take Agent Walker and Colonel Casey as well?"

"That is what the notice says General Beckman. I believe that your two agents will play a crucial role in recruiting Mr. Bartowski, and you and I both know that Fulcrum is not the end of the line. We need him to cut off the problem at the source. In any case you'll have your agents for a while longer than Mr. Bartowski."

"Very well then Director Gottfried, we will play it by ear then. Although I hope you will keep me in the loop. General Beckman out."

The screen flashes an end conference notice and reverts to Gottfried's desktop. He smiles a bit to himself before opening the bottom drawer in his desk to retrieve a bottle of scotch and a glass with ice. It might only be two in the afternoon, but in this line of work, it's never too early for a drink.

_**Beverly Hills, CA 90210**_**: Neiman Marcus**

"So what do you think about this Chuck?" asks Claire holding up a brown suede blazer up to Chuck's chest for measure. "I like it."

"It's all right. Seems more casual than a real blazer. I'm not sure about that ve-" starts Chuck before his phone begins to ring in his pocket. Shoving his hand deep into his jeans Chuck extracts his iPhone to see Sarah's smiling face on the screen. He taps the green button and lifts the handset to his ear.

"Chuck, your sister's gown nightmare is gone. Sorry it took so long. Did you get started without me?" asks Sarah the bustle of cars in the background.

"Yeah, I did. I'm over at Neiman Marcus on the fourth floor," responds Chuck grateful for the respite from the salesgirl's incessant flirting.

"Okay Chuck, I'm driving over now. You chose the right place, I need to get a dress for your sister's reception anyway. See you in five."

"Bye," says Chuck before returning the phone to his pocket. He turns back to an eagerly awaiting Claire giving himself a moment to mentally sigh. Chuck plasters a polite smile on his face and silently prays for Sarah's speedy arrival.

Exactly five minutes later Sarah strides through the doors to the large department store and mounts the escalator with practiced ease rising past the couture and designer floors to arrive on the men's floor. Using her honed senses as an agent, she spots Chuck past the bar next to the ties. However, the person standing next to Chuck draws her attention to a sharpened point. One: this person was a girl, two: she was talking to Chuck, three: she is standing _way_ too close to Chuck. Watching the two of them interact brought up unaddressed jealousy that Sarah was not even aware she had. It scared her a bit, because she could not remember when Chuck stopped being the asset and her cover boyfriend. Squashing the green monster, Sarah tosses her hair and decides the put her seduction training to good use. As graceful as a pirouetting ballerina, Sarah smoothly stalks her way across the sales floor in her high-heeled boots, swinging her hips back and forth, to and fro more than normal.

Chuck shudders a bit at how close the brunette was to him as she placed tie after tie up to his neck to observe its color. Out of the corner of his eye he spots a flash of familiar blonde hair. Raising his head, he sees Sarah quickly walking towards him causing his face to break into a bright smile. His smile falters though when he sees the darker expression on her face. As Sarah rounds the table of ties he cranes his neck to watch her come up to his side and press herself as closely as possible to him and throw her arms around his neck. Chuck could feel his face heat up as a blush crept up his neck.

"H-hi S-s-sarah," stutters Chuck unsure of what she was doing. A sexy smirk graces Sarah's features before she grasps the hair at the nape of his neck to pull him down for a passionate kiss.

"Hey, yourself, Mr. Bartowski," breathes Sarah in a low tone before turning to the stunned brunette sales assistant. "Hi, I'm Sarah, Chuck's girlfriend," she beams turning to face Claire. As Sarah offers up her hand in greeting the brunette is obviously intimidated by the statuesque blonde in front of her.

"Hi, I'm, uh, Claire. I've just been helping Mr. Bartowski here with some clothing choices."

"Have you now? Well why don't you help us open a dressing room and all of the things you've go now there. I'll help Chuck pick out the rest of his things," dismisses Sarah as she subtly waves her hand at Claire. Clearly scared she scampers off like a dog with its tail in between its legs. Sarah turns to Chuck with a satisfied smile on her face only to see a bemused and slightly disturbed look on his face.

"Did you really have to do that? I mean the poor girl just wanted to help me find some clothes," Chuck says facetiously. Sarah gives him a pointed stare and dares him to poke fun at her.

"Are you really asking me that question Chuck? Did you see the way she was looking at you? Finding clothes was not the only thing she wanted to do," grumbles Sarah before she turns to the assorted ties on the table. Chuck smiles at her concentrated form hunched over ties discerning their qualities. Under her breath she begins muttering, "Prada, Ferragamo, Hermes, Etro, hmmm. Always freaking brunettes…" She didn't know, but Chuck could hear everything she said.

Two-and-a-half hours later Chuck and Sarah finally sat down at Mariposa, the restaurant on the basement level of Neiman Marcus, for a late lunch. An assortment of bags littered the ground around their table. After procuring another mass of clothing and four pairs of shoes, Sarah had carefully analyzed the pile of clothing Claire had selected, throwing out a good deal of it. Sarah had then ordered Chuck to try on each and every piece of clothing, scrutinizing the fit of every piece. Eventually the tailor had been called down and all of the suits were altered to Sarah's exacting specifications. As tedious as it was, Chuck had to admit he looked good after she was done. The suits and alterations would not be ready until next week, but in the meantime Chuck would look the part of superstar millionaire. In the end Chuck had a clean, well put together wardrobe. After a marathon fitting Sarah had dragged a disheveled and tired Chuck to the couture floor to seek out a dress for Ellie and Awesome's reception.

"Sarah, we are never doing that again," groans Chuck as he places the cool glass of freshly brewed passion fruit iced tea to his lips. Sarah smiles coyly at him as she sips her mojito.

"Well, you needed the clothes and I have to say, you look very handsome in them. You've got your whole future ahead of you. If you can do anything then you have to look the part. Which reminds me, I have a present for you. You're no longer an asset, and you can't continue to wear that atrocious looking tracking watch."

"Wow, Sarah Walker, pulling out the big guns. 'Atrocious,' huh? I remember many a time when you would yell at this poor soul to keep his damn watch on."

"Chuck, you're such a dork. Close your eyes," laughs Sarah as she reaches into the white bag she had been carrying with her.

"Sarah, I'm a nerd, remember. 'Nerd Herd?'" argues Chuck before placing his face in his hands. Across the table, Sarah stares at his hands covered face before deciding that it is all right to pull out his present. Removing it carefully from its bag, Sarah places the brown lacquered wooden box on the table. A gold Iron Cross is inlaid into the luxurious material. She slides the box until it is directly in front of Chuck.

"You can open your eyes now," says Sarah pulling Chucks hands away from his face. At the sight of the expensive looking box Chuck's eyes widen slightly. He pushes down on the gold latch popping the lid open. Inside swathed in a cushion of white leather is a shiny silver watch with a brown crocodile strap.

"Wow, Sarah. I can't take something like this from you. This is, wow. How much did this cost?" asks Chuck clearly awed as he leans back in his chair a look of disbelief still on his face.

"Yes, you can Chuck. After everything you've been through for this country you deserve this much. I also got a big bonus and I never have time to spend my paycheck so I have enough money. I won't take it back so you better wear it Chuck."

"Thank you Sarah, I don't know what to say. What kind of watch is it?"

Taking a bite out of her salad Sarah responds, "It's a Vacheron Constantin, Malte Dual-Time Regulator. Oh the casing is white gold so don't smash the watch against anything."

Chuck straps the watch to his wrist removing the CIA standard issue one. The two of them finish lunch with easy conversation and get up to leave. For once, Chuck is easily able to pick up the tab. As the walk amongst the other shoppers to the escalators Chuck slips an arm around Sarah's shoulders. Feeling quite comfortable Sarah rests her head on Chuck's shoulder smiling softly.

"Chuck? Can you promise me something?" asks Sarah

"Anything," he responds as he watches the basement floor disappear beneath them.

"Promise me you'll quit the Buy More. I mean it when I say you have your whole future ahead of you."

"Sarah, I have a degree I earned and one I most definitely didn't, but you're right. I will quit the Buy More, five years is more than enough."

As the two of them walk out of the store and into the bright California sunlight, Sarah hands her valet ticket to the valet with a grey ball cap. A suspicious five minutes pass before the roar of Sarah's Porsche's engine is heard and the car quickly emerges from the underground parking. The door swings open and out steps not the valet, but Bryce Larkin in all of his undead, agency trained glory.

"Bryce?" chorus Chuck and Sarah simultaneously.

Meanwhile back at Casa Bartowski, the Mac Pro underneath Chuck's desk hums to life and the large plasma flat-screen brightens his darkened room. A dock icon begins jumping up and down. A notice pops onscreen: "You Have 1 New Message."

**To Be Continued…**

**A/N:**

Okay, it took way longer than expected, but Chuck vs. The Ring threw me for a loop and I needed to weave the story line back into my fictional plot. Not too much plot movement in this chapter, but next chapter we'll have the wedding and maybe move through the end of the season finale. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter because I have some ideas for the next one. As always, please take the time to review and let me know if you have any ideas to keep the plot moving!

Peace and love,

GATX-105b


	4. Operation Dinner and Business Ethics

**Chuck vs. A Brand New Life**

Disclaimer: I do not own anything in conjunction with NBC Networks nor do I own anything said by the government characters in this story. I only own the plotline and the scenarios I have created.

_Chapter 3: Operation Dinner and Business Ethics_

**Fort Meade, MD- NSA Headquarters** **1700 Hours**

The setting sun flits through the shades in General Beckman's large and well-appointed office. The General sits sifting through papers on her desk, signing here and there, and from time to time peering over the rim of her glasses to scrutinize the fine print on the page. Rhythmically General Beckman continues to work through the mass of paperwork littering her desk. The sounds of shuffling paper are punctuated by a shrill ringing of the desk phone placed meticulously to the left of the computer monitor. Giving the caller identification a sharp look, General Beckman raises the handset to her ear.

"This is Dark Horse, secure line November," states the voice on the end of the line.

"General Beckman secure. Go ahead," replies the General curtly.

"Ma'am, Agent Larkin has made contact with the asset. His mission parameters have been communicated. We will monitor for any other clandestine agency activity."

"Very well, keep me informed. Next check-in time is at 2000 hours. Beckman out."

The handset quickly found its way back to its former position, and Diane Beckman was once again concentrated on her paperwork. As she scribbles her signature on another piece of paper a small, mischievous smile graces her hard-set lips.

**Beverley Hills, CA 90210- Neiman Marcus Main Entrance**

Chuck and Sarah stood too shocked to speak. Ex-partner, ex-best friend, ex-lover, ex-colleague, and ex-dead guy all rolled into one: that would accurately describe Bryce Larkin. Sarah's hand, which had been lightly clasped in Chuck's squeezed his briefly before quickly sliding her hand to the waistband of her jeans. The familiar shape of her .45 caliber Desert Eagle fit easily into her hands as she tensed for any coming danger.

Bryce's sharp eyes follow Sarah's every motion and a humored smile comes to his face. He raises both hands to head level and walks around the still open car door and pushes it shut with one swift motion. Chuck is still standing in a state of shock, arms hanging loosely at his sides. Sarah's knees are slightly bent and she is fully the merciless agent that Chuck had met two years prior.

"You can relax Sarah, I'm just here to talk. The General's sent me with a new assignment. Pick up your things and drop Chuck off, I'll meet you at the Castle," says Bryce in a laidback manner before jogging lightly back into the underground parking. After Bryce's departure Sarah's hand finally leaves her gun relaxed enough to turn and look at Chuck. To her surprise his face no longer gave any indication of shock. His normally soft brown eyes had turned a shade darker and his brow was furrowed in slight anger.

"Chuck, are you okay?" asks Sarah as she rests her hand lightly on Chuck's bicep. Chuck gives s slight jump before turning to Sarah and responding affirmatively. The drive back to Casa Bartowski is tense and full of questions entirely unlike the few hours before it. Chuck stares absently out the window the entire time absorbed in his own thoughts.

_"A new assignment. What will it mean for Sarah and me? I mean, we haven't even talked about what happened at the Motel in Barstow. We're closer than we've been in months, but we need to talk. Then there's Bryce, busting back into my life like its 2000, and we're back at Stanford. Always marginalizing me,"_ Chuck thinks to himself before letting out a long sigh. The sigh causes Sarah to look over worriedly at the back of Chuck's head her vision concentrated on his reflection in the tinted car window.

Nearing the complex which housed the Bartowski's home, Sarah let her foot push down on the brakes, the red brake calipers bringing the Porsche to a quick stop. Chuck wordlessly opens the door and steps around to the front waiting for Sarah to pop the trunk. Sarah depresses the button and steps out of the car to help Chuck bring the many bags into the house. Chuck barely unlocks the door before Ellie's flushed face pops over the edge of the couch. She begins to embarrassedly try and explain her disheveled presence before realizing that Chuck was not paying any attention to a word she was saying. Ellie gives Chuck a puzzled look before nudging Awesome sharply in the chest causing him to sharply sit up. Sarah trudges through the door with the last of four shopping bags. Both Ellie and Devon glance over at her as if waiting for an explanation.

Sarah noticed the two pairs of eyes on her and looked up before asking, "What?" In an almost comical way they continue to stare at Sarah while animatedly pointing in Chuck's direction. Sarah looks over at Chuck before answering the engaged couple's unspoken question, "We went shopping, and we ran into Bryce Larkin. Chuck's a bit shocked about seeing him again. How'd that dress work out for you Ellie?"

With Sarah's comment about Ellie's dress the ice is broken. Chuck comes out of his stupor enough to give both his sister and his soon-to-be brother-in-law a weak smile and a tepid hello. He quickly excuses himself to his room, and is gone without another word.

"Well that was odd," noted Ellie before turning to Sarah with a bright smile, "The dress worked out great. I think you have the best taste Sarah. It was a nightmare not having picked a dress until the day before the wedding. You're a lifesaver."

"Anytime Ellie. I think I should get going, I have an extra shift at the Orange Orange so that I can take the day off for the wedding tomorrow," Sarah lies as she gets up to leave.

"That is so not awesome, Sarah," comments Devon his attention now focused on the UCLA basketball game playing on the widescreen plasma. The two women burst into laughter, and Sarah says her goodbyes before leaving the condo.

Truth be told, Sarah Walker was angry. For once in her somewhat short, but eventful Sarah Walker was unabatedly, uncontrollably enraged. The situation was ironic, the man who once was the only anchor in her tumultuous life as a CIA agent now irked her beyond belief. For the first time in years, Sarah Walker was happy, she was with someone who she knew loved her beyond his own life. Maybe they had not gotten to the point where she could say the same words back to him, but they were making progress. Fast progress at that. Then _he_ came back and everything went to hell.

By now Sarah Walker was behind the wheel of her remarkably fast Porsche flying over asphalt like skates on ice. In record time she arrives at the Buy More plaza ready to stalk down to Castle and give Bryce Larkin a piece of her mind.

The inside of the Orange Orange is cool, and unsurprisingly, empty. Sarah's slender digits rapidly input the access codes opening the entrance to Team Chuck's field headquarters. As she descends the stairs she hears Casey grunting to the suave words of Bryce Larkin. She had to give the man credit, he could charm the pants off a corpse.

"Ahem," coughs Sarah announcing her presence to the NSA agent and Bryce. Casey reaches over to the keyboard and the screen comes to life with General Beckman's face.

"Ah, Agent Walker, good of you to join us. Let us proceed with the briefing. Agent Larkin," signals General Beckman gesturing for Bryce to begin the briefing.

"As of today, Team Bartowski is disbanded, and Colonel John Casey will return to active field duty with the Air Force. Agent Walker is to leave her current station as a deep cover agent in Burbank, CA to join the new Intersect project as the head along with Agent Bryce Larkin. The asset Charles Irving Bartowski will be monitored and if he is deemed a threat he will be terminated or placed into permanent detention at a secure government location."

Casey gives a pleased grunt and a small smile to the first part of the briefing, but the look quickly turns to one of slight shock at the General's orders that Chuck may still be thrown in to a deep dark hole for the rest of his life. Sarah's anger that was still bubbling just beneath the surface suddenly vanished for the moment. The orders on the table were a major promotion for her. Wasn't this what she had always wanted, to be at the top of her profession? Bryce's awaiting expression shifts into focus and Sarah is struck with a mental project of Chuck. She did not think she could leave him, but this was big.

"Well Agent Walker?" prompts General Beckman, shaking Sarah out of her reverie. "Will you accept this mission?"

Sarah stares blankly at the face that fills the screen for a moment before answering, "Can I sleep on it?"

If General Beckman was surprised her face did not show it. She curtly nods before signing off, leaving the two CIA Agents and the Colonel in the basement of the Orange Orange.

"Sleep on it, Sarah? What's gotten into you? This is a huge step up for you, and we'll finally get to go away just like we planned," says Bryce raising his arms in frustration. Looking at him, Sarah no longer feels the connection that she once felt with Bryce. There is no longer that spark or fire, only a deadened feeling that she knows is the realization that Bryce had used her as much as she had used him for comfort in the field.

"I think Agent Walker meant she'll sleep on it," growls Casey coming to his partner's defense. As much of a grizzly bear as the man was, he had a soft spot for a certain Buy More employee and his partner. Bryce sends a warning glance at Casey as if trying to tell him to butt out of an argument that clearly was not his to get involved with. Casey stares right back, years of combat had taught him to fear no one.

Back at the Bartowski residence, Chuck stares sullenly at the ceiling wondering if this was the end of the road for Sarah and him. To Chuck there is no way out of letting Sarah go. Another mission where she did not have to babysit him and tell him to stay in the car 24/7 was something he was convinced she would not give up. To Chuck's right the screen on his computer comes to life once again reiterating that a new message had been received. Noting the popping noise coming from the icon on the dock, Chuck rolls onto his side to see if it was worth getting up for.

Sighing with a resigned air, Chuck pushes himself up and sits down at his desk simultaneously clicking the mail icon. He selects the new mail and observes the sender is the NSA. Curious as to what it is Chuck opens the e-mail to find the details of his new Stanford Business degree within. Reaching the bottom it asks him to input the serial coding on the back of the paper Casey had handed him earlier in the day. At this point a part of Chuck's brain felt suspicious, but the curious nature of the e-mail intrigued the nerd even more. The deftly inputs the numbers and then his name underneath and hits the enter key. The screen on his computer goes black for a second and then: flash, the screen ignites into a flurry of letters, symbols, and pictures. Chuck finds himself unable to look away the data burrowing into his head. Soon the screen goes blank once more and Chuck slumps into his chair suddenly drained.

Chuck looks down at the expensive degree papers on his lap and suddenly the familiar tug on the back of his brain sends him into an Intersect flash. Business ethics, law, practices, executive management, and all other kinds of information brings itself to the forefront of his mind. Suddenly Chuck had a million ideas on how to start a company, how to manage one, how to make one successful. He had just earned a graduate degree in a literal blink of an eye.

Finally catching his breath, Chuck stares blankly at his now normal screen. He had just been uploaded. Again.

Panic rises in Chuck's chest as he stares blankly up at his ceiling. Was this really just a government severance package or was there a plan in the background to draw him back into the fold? Chuck's thoughts are cut short as Ellie yells for him from outside. They were having dinner with Awesome's parents again, and Ellie was a nervous wreck as usual.

**Los Angeles, CA- Sarah Walker's Hotel Room**

Sarah Walker sits in her hotel room bag packed and resting against the short hallway into her room. Absentmindedly, she flicks through pictures on her iPhone. Chuck, Ellie, Awesome, Morgan, Casey, and the myriad of people she met on this assignment. Was it really an assignment anymore? Ellie felt more like her sister than the asset's sister, and for the first time she was attached to a partner with no romantic feelings. Was it worth destroying all of this and closing what could be described as the happiest chapter of her life to date?

A groan of frustration escapes Sarah's lips as she flops back onto the comforter of her bed. Sarah's eyes drift back to the picture of herself and Chuck proudly displayed on her phone and she closes her eyes. She drifts back to the last few days: the escape from Burbank, the motel shootout, a heart-to-heart in Castle, rescuing Devon, blowing Barstow to bits, and taking down Fulcrum's Intersect program. Her rock through the pandemonium was Chuck.

"For whatever it's worth, if I have to spend the rest of my days in a dark, windowless room; I can't think of a better person to spend it with," Chuck had said when the two of them were locked away in Castle's holding cell. When she tried to dissuade his hope of their being together he simply responded, "What we can't request a cozy little two bed, two bath cell?"

Sarah shocked herself when she responded with a loaded two-word question, hearkening back to the intense wakeup in the motel room by asking, "Two bed?"

Sarah's reminiscences are cut short by the insistent buzzing of her phone indicating that she had one hour before the start of the final pre-wedding Bartowski-Woodcomb dinner. Deciding she would come to a decision later, Sarah quickly makes her way to the bathroom to prepare for the night ahead.

_**Virginia- Undisclosed Location**_**: Occam's Razor HQ**

Azrael Gottfried pushes himself off the railing of the elevator car as it arrives at its destination far underground. He walks into a sterile white corridor and steps briskly up to a pair of automatic ballistic glass doors. A silent biometric scan is made by the camera and sensors around the door, disengaging the lock. Straightening his jacket, Gottfried enters the lab to the strong thrum of massive data servers, technicians and scientists buzz around the room working on the task at hand. The man in charge of the project, Alan Gosling, finally notices Gottfried hovering by the entrance observing the work. Gosling jogs lightly over to Gottfried surprisingly fit for a computer expert.

"How goes the number crunching?" asks Gottfried, his sharp eyes drifting over the scene in front of him.

"Well for a temporary setup, it will do. We don't have the finalized cube, and we will need Orion's help to finish a true Intersect 3.0 setup. This is really just a beta of the final version."

"Will it be ready for the remote upload?"

"It should be. We've tested the MBA data with Mr. Bartowski, and according to the data feedback received from the NSA, the upload worked just fine."

"Good, I'll contact our field agents and alert them to the situation. I'm still a bit worried about General Beckman's cooperation with us despite a POTUS signed order. As of now, Operation November is a go."

Exiting the lab, a secure next-generation Blackberry-esque phone is in Azrael's hand dialing the number for the two agent team he had dispatched to LA.

"Victor secure," a pause and then the conversation continues, "The operation is on, Blue Angel and Katana will identify and cooperate with the recruit's team. Director out."

**Burbank, CA- Bartowski Residence**

Chuck nervously stands outside the kitchen attempting to calm Ellie down over an overdone dish. Even after many meetings with the Woodcombs, Ellie still managed to freak out over something as simple as dinner. Granted, this was the dinner right before her and Devon's wedding, but she still should not be freaking out this much. As Devon had gone to pick up his parents, it was up to Chuck to try and calm her down. All of the sudden a plan came to Chuck's mind.

"Ellie, why don't we just go out for dinner? I mean you've already cooked for Devon's parents before, and they know you can cook so…"

"Brilliant plan little brother, except for the fact that we're supposed to eat at 7:30 and it's already six o'clock. Where in hell are we going to get a dinner reservation at this time?"

"Um, let me take care of it. Trust me sis," says Chuck before dashing back to his room and jumping out of the Morgan door. He quickly makes his way up the stairs to Casey's apartment before knocking rapidly. The door opens to reveal Casey dressed casually in a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt.

"What do you want Agent Numbnuts?" growls Casey eyes shifting around the hallway.

"Casey! You need to help me. You see my sister wanted to cook dinner for Devon's parents tonight, and that's falling through, and…"

"Spare me the sob story, I already had to sit through it once. Surveillance remember? Just tell me what you need."

"Yeah, uh, can you get a reservation at a really good restaurant like right now, for 7:30?"

"So you want me to use my government position to pose as another government official, and get you a dinner reservation at one of LA's finest restaurants?"

"Can I say yes?"

"Fine. Only because I think you've served your country honorably," growls Casey before retreating into his lair of an apartment.

Chuck sighs in relief before slowly walking back to his apartment and climbing back through the window. He sits down at his desk, Intersect upload completely forgotten. A minute later Chuck's iPhone rings causing him to scramble for to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Hey, dimwit. Got you a reservation at Providence for 7:45. Chef's table in a closed off room with a view into the kitchen. Happy eating," grumbles Casey.

"Thank you so much Casey, I owe you."

"Yeah, whatever."

Casey hangs up and Chuck suddenly feels light as a feather. He quickly walks back out to the kitchen to inform his sister. Chuck peeks into the living room to see Ellie moping on the couch.

"Hey, Sis? We've got a reservation for six at Providence tonight," grins Chuck as Ellie's face breaks out into a wide smile. Then a look of suspicion crosses it as she stares Chuck down for a moment.

"What time is the reservation for? There's no way you got a reservation for the right time."

"Well, uh, it's not seven thirty, but it's seven forty-five. Is that okay?"

"Okay? Chuck, you got a reservation at one of the busiest restaurants in LA on a Friday night an hour in advance. Sometimes I think you have superpowers, little brother."

"Sometimes I wish I did."

"I know. Oh, I need to call Devon to tell him we're going out. He needs to tell his dad that they need sport coats. Go get ready Chuck."

About five minutes after the solving of the dinner fiasco, Sarah Walker finally arrives at the Bartowski abode as indicated by the ringing of the doorbell. Chuck who had been sitting serenely on the couch absorbed by a televised showing of _Tron_ swiftly moved to answer the door in a surprisingly graceful way.

"Hey Sarah," smiles Chuck standing in the doorway in one of his new dress shirts, a new pair of charcoal grey dress slacks. Sarah gives Chuck a quick up and down, noting that taking him shopping was definitely worth it.

"Well, you look particularly dressed up tonight. I thought we were just staying in for one of Ellie's famous meals."

"Yeah, about that… There was an issue with the food so Ellie was freaking out. I asked Casey to get a dinner reservation at a restaurant tonight and he got us all in at Providence."

"Providence? Chuck, I need a dress now, there's no possible way I can go in jeans."

Chuck flushes at Sarah's disappointment, but rakishly asks, "Even if those jeans make you look really good?"

Sarah blushes a bit, but playfully swats Chuck on the shoulder before dragging him out of the condo with her.

"If I have to go change, you're coming with me. Call Ellie on the way and let her know that we'll meet her at the restaurant," says Sarah gunning the engine on her Porsche before racing down the road back towards her hotel.

The ride to Sarah's dissolved into a comfortable silence interrupted only by the din of powerful engine rumbling throughout the car. Soon enough they reached the hotel and Sarah all but kicked Chuck out of the car in her haste to get changed.

As Sarah dashed about the suite with various beauty products Chuck was largely ignored. The only exception came in the form of Sarah asking for Chuck's opinion on dresses. A navy blue cocktail dress and a charcoal grey evening gown were held up by Sarah while a questioning gaze searched Chuck's face.

"The grey one, definitely," says Chuck firmly. Sarah gives him a million watt smile before striding quickly into her bathroom and clicking the lock shut.

Left with nothing to do Chuck took a seat on the bed glancing at his new watch. Noticing the television remote to his left he grabbed it and turned on the flatscreen. Flipping through the channels idly Chuck heard Sarah's voice call him from inside the bathroom. His finger sat poised above the channel up button, but his eyes were affixed to the screen as he responded to Sarah.

"What do you need?" asks Chuck as his gaze comes to rest on the stock ticker at the bottom of the screen on CNBC. Suddenly a familiar tug at the back of brain sends Chuck spiraling into a flash. This time it was different, there weren't just photos, but legitimate data and numbers.

"Chuck? Did you hear what I said?" asks Sarah putting her earrings on as she steps out of the restroom. The sight before her was oddly familiar and confusing at the same time.

Chuck sat on the edge of the bed unmoving, eyes wide open. Sarah walks over to him ready to shake him out of his stupor, but before she could reach him a sharp intake of breath almost makes Sarah jump out of her skin.

Huffing and puffing Chuck shakes his head for a moment before muttering, "How the hell do I know that?"

"Chuck, did you just flash?" asks Sarah fearing the worst. Chuck slowly turns to look at her.

"Sarah, I know business law."

**A/N: ****Okay guys, I am so sorry I haven't updated this story in forever. I know I promised you something a long time ago, but there's been a lot going on in my life so I tried to give you a much longer chapter to chew on. Hopefully I can do a dinner chapter and a wedding/plotline supercharger chapter in the next couple of weeks. Thank you guys for continuing to read the story. I know there are a lot of alerts out there, but if you could just drop me a quick review just to let me know how I'm doing that would be great. Even a, "good job" or "update soon" is okay. I just need to know that there are people out there who appreciate the writing.**

**Peace,**

**GATX-105b**


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